Tube frame for tuft weaving



June 22 1926.

w. BIXBY was FRAME FOR TUFT wmvme Filed Dec. 5, 1925 INVENTOk BY mam?J-Ca./V'

' ATTORNEY Patented June 22, 1926.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.T

WALTER BIXBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SHAWIVIUT ENGINEER-ING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

TUBE FRAME FOR TUFT .WEAVING.

I Application filed December 3,1925. SerialNo. 73 ,033.

10 when carried around by the carrier-chains to and from position to betransferred into the loom for service.

Since tube-frames, as ordinarily suspended by hangers of greater or lesslength by engagement between the upper ends of said hangers and thecarrier chains, are turned into all possible angles as they traverse thesinuous path of the chains, they are subjected to repeated shocks asthey swing from one angle to another, thus producing excessive vibrationtending to loosen or weaken the parts unless the parts are made ofsubstantial weight or thickness to resist such service strains,According to the present improvement the tube-frame is detachablysuspended from the carrier-chain by a direct connection and engagement.

which eliminatesthe rocking or swinging movement with relation to thechain, and

V permits the body of the tube-frame to be brought into closer relationto the chain, thus diminishing the leverage thereof.

The invention also comprises a novel construction of tuft-tube carryingand attaching means by which the tuft tubes are properly mounted alongthe tube-frame. and other features of the invention will be described inthe following specification and will be defined in the claims heretoannexed. In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferredform of construction embodying the principles of this invention, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tube-,

5 Figure 5 is a detail view of the reciprocatory These 1 suspension andspool-supporting member.

In the practice of this invention, according to the form illustrated inthe drawings, thecarrier-bar 1, is made of tubular construction for thepurpose of carrying a closely. arranged series of parallel tuft tubeswhich the suspension means are subjected The means for attaching thetuft-tubes to the carrier-bar comprise a longitudinal strip of sheetmetal 2, applied to the. front face of the carrier-bar 1, with itsbottom portion folded upon itself, asshown at 2", and having its forwardportion 2 projecting beyond the face of" the carrier-bar sufficientlyto.

receive the row of tuft-tubes t whichare inserted in small transverseapertures in the forwardly projecting. supporting ledge'2". The verticalleg of this attaching member 2 is formed, near its upper edge, with alongitudinal-rib 2, to form an abutment for the intake end edges of thetuft-tubes 2? to which the tuft-tube ends are soldered. angle strip 3,having a' right angle lip 3 overhanging the upper edge of the tuft-tubecarrying and attaching member 2, isapplied to the top face of thecarrier-bar 1, and is securely anchored in place by transverse bolts 4,having clamping nuts 5 which, as

the bolt-head and the nut pass through and engage both the bottomportion 2 of the attaching member 2, and the top member 3, serve toireleasably but firmly secure the tufttube attachingmeans .tothe'carrier-bar.

'The end hangers 6,v are at their lower ends bent into U-shaped formforming an attach- 'ing portion or member 6 fitting snugly insidethehollow end of the carrier-bar and 1 secured therein by fasteningscrews passed through the top and bottom walls of the carrier-bar, thelower end of the arm 6, beyondsaid U-shaped inset, being bent to form astop lip' or shoulder 6 abutting the end of the bottom wall of the tubeas does the upper-portion of the said arm against the end edge of thetop ,wall ofthe tubular bar '1-.-

Instead of the usual upwardly extending latch-hook for releasablysuspending the tube-frame from the parallel links lOand 11, of thecarrier-chains, Ipemploy in this case a spring-pressed plunger orreciprocatory latch 9 arranged in the top portion of the arm or hanger 6in position to penetrate a counter-sunk aperture in the inside link '11.

The bracket 6 is provided with an offset portion 7 and an upwardlyextending chainpenetrating member 7 which passes between the two linksof the chain.

To retract the suspension member or latch 9 from suspending engagementwith the chain I provide said latch with a vertical arm 8, carrying atits bottom a horizontal plunger or rod 8, forming a retracting elementwhose outer end is adapted to be engaged by the upper portion of thetransfer cam 20 which, as usual, is provided with a bottom lip 20 andside wings 20", to form a receiving cradle for supporting and carryingthe tube-frame from the chain to its proper operative position in theloom to deliver the tufts to the fabric being woven. Thelatch-retracting member 8 is mounted in a slide-way or hearing formed inthe offset portion 7 of the end bracket or hanger, and as it is pushedin by the inwardly moving transfer cam the motion is transmitted' 'tothe chain-engaging or suspension latch 9 so as to withdraw it completelyfrom engagement with the chain, allowing the transfer mechanismthereafter to carry it into the loom.

In the present case the yarn-spool 15, with its flanged heads 17, isprovided with a bearing recess or socket 16 in its ends in whichis'mounted a spring-pressed journal '18, which has telescopic engagementwith the inner end of the latch 9 and is normally pressed outward by ahelical spring 19in position to form bearing engagement with said latchand at the same time to yield inwardly under the pressure of thetransfer cam against the retracting member 8. The axial movement of theyielding journal 18 is limited by a pin and slot engagement, as shown at1'6.

, The offset portion or member 7 of the end bracket or hanger ispositioned and shaped, as shown in Figure 3, so that its top face formsan engagement with the under side of the inner chain-link '11 from which"the tube-frame is suspended. It will, therefore, be seen that theabutting top face of the member 7, by its engagement with the chain,prevents the tube frame from rocking about its suspension latch 9,thereby avoidmounted on said bracket in position to penetrate thelateral opening in the opposite link, said latch being provided with aretracting member projecting beneath the chain in position to be engagedand forced inward by the transfer means to release the tube frame fromthe chain.

2. Suspension means for a tube-frame embracing in combination with acarrier-chain, links having lateral openings, a suspension hangersecured to the end of a tube-frame carrier-bar, and a spring-pressedlatch slidably mounted in the upper portion of said suspension hanger inposition to enter the opening in an opposed chain link, said latch beingprovided with an outwardly projecting member beneath the chain inposition to be forced inward by transfer mechanism and thereby releasethe tube-frame from the carrier chain.

3. A suspension hanger for a tube-frame embracing a suspension armadapted to be rigidlysecured to the carrier-bar of a tube frame, andhaving at its upper end an outwardly offset chain-penetrating extension,a suspension spring-actuated latch slidably mounted in said outwardoffset portion to form suspending connection with the carrier-chain of atube-frame, said arm being formed with a chain-engaging face arranged toprevent the rocking of the tube-frame about its suspension latch.

4. In a tube-frame, the combination with a carrier-bar, of a suspensionhanger secured thereto, a spool-supporting chain-engaging element,yieldingly mounted in the upper portion of said hanger to normallymaintain suspension engagement with a carrier-chain while alsosupporting the spool, said element being arranged to be disengaged fromthe chain by transfer mechanism while still affording support for theyarn spool.

5. A spool-supporting suspension hanger for a tube-frame embracing asuspension arm adapted to be secured to the carrier-bar of a tube frame,and a reciprocatory springpressed latch mounted axially of the yarnspoolto move to and from suspension engagement with a carrier-chain.

6. A spool-supporting suspension hanger for a tube-frame embracing incombination, a suspension arm adapted to be secured to the end portionof the tube-frame carrierbar, a transversely movable spool-supportingand chain-engaging member whose outer portion normally has suspensionengagement with a carrier-chain and whose inner portion forms a bearingsupport for the yarn-spool of a tube-frame.

7 A tube-frame for tuft-weaving embracing a longitudinal carrier-bar forsupporting a row of tuft-tubes, means for detachably suspending saidcarrier-bar from carrier-chains, said means comprising an arm rigidlysecured to the carrier-bar and adapted to form non-rocking engagementwith the suspending link of a carrier-chain, and an outwardly pressedyielding latch movable longitudinally of the tube-frame to formreleasable suspension engagement with an opposed chain-link.

8. In a tube-frame, the combination of a carrier-bar, end bracketssecured thereto, a rotatable yarn-spool having axially yieldingjournals, journal bearing-members slidably mounted in axial alignmentwith said journals, and having outward extensions adapted to formreleasable suspension engagement with tube-frame carrier chains.

9. In a tubeframe, the combination with a carrier-bar, spool-supportingend brackets secured thereto, endwise slidable suspension membersmounted in said end brackets opposite said spool and normally pressedoutward into releasable suspension engagement with opposed links of acarrier-chain.

10. In a tube-frame, the combination with a longitudinal carrier-bar, ofa series of transversely disposed parallel tuft-tubes and means fordetachably connecting said tuft-tubes to the carrier-bar, said meanscomprising a longitudinal strip of angular cross section foldedlongitudinal edges to form an attaching wing at right angles to itsfront face beintermediate of its neath the carrier-bar with a forwardlyprojecting edge portion slotted to receive and position the tuft-tubes,and means for securing said wing against the bottom of the carrier-bar.

11. An attaching means for detachably securing a series of tuft-tubes toa carrierbar embracing a longitudinal strip whose middle portion is benton a longitudinal line at right angles to its top portion forming itsfront face and is reversely folded to provide a forwardly projectingledge having transverse slots for the reception of tuft-tubes, the topportion being formed with a longitudinal rib to overhang the adjacenttuft-tubes.

12. In a tube-frame, the combination of a tubular carrier-bar, endbrackets embracing upright arms whose lower end portions are bentinwardly downwardly and outwardly to form an integral U-shaped attachingportion insertable inside the hollow ends of the carrier-bar, means forrigidly securing the bar and the U-shaped attaching portion together,and a chain-engaging latch mounted in saidarm.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

WALTER BIXBY.

